In As You Like It, Shakespeare depicts the forest of Arden as a place that, though it causes hardships for the people who are used to living at court, is desirable because it IS so unlike the false, pampered life of the royalty. It is idyllic in the traditional way of the pastoral. The simple life of the shepherd is romanticized as somehow much more real, down to earth, in touch with the land. Though Duke Senior misses his daughter Rosalind, he has discovered that he rather likes the simple life. He has fewer responsibilities and is more in touch with his followers, who have joined him in exile.

shakespeare depicts the forest of arden as a primitive forest. in act 2, scene 1, duke senior describes the hardships of forest life that he has been leading. but at the same time, he also praises this type of life as it gave him a lot of peace.

again in act3, touchstone describes forest life as a life of shepherd. he could not appreciate living in a forest as it did not provide him the luxury of the court life.

hence, shakespeare depicts the forest of arden in both the positive and negative ways.